Former football stars raise relief funds

NEW YORK -- John Elway knew he wanted to do more than just donate money for Katrina relief.\nThe Hall of Famer and former Denver Broncos quarterback headlined more than 30 current and former NFL players in a fund-raising telethon Monday night for the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund.\n"You want to get involved and be a part of something that there's a chance to raise a whole bunch of money," Elway said. "We can all donate money, but you want to do more."\nThe telethon, which started about 6 p.m. and was to last until midnight, was part of the NFL's "Hurricane Relief Weekend." The players took turns, 12 at a time, spending between 75 minutes to 2 hours answering telephones and taking donations from callers.\nThe players were glad so many of their peers turned out to lend their support to the fund-raising efforts.\n"It shows a lot about the NFL, the players in the NFL to take time out of their schedule so people in the New Orleans and Mississippi area can continue to have enjoyable lives," Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb said. "It's a tragedy. People were living in homes they lived in for all of their lives, and probably traditional homes where their grandmothers and grandfathers had lived and passed on to them, and now it's gone."\nAfter talking to some callers, New York Jets center Kevin Mawae, a Louisiana native and former LSU player, was touched by the appreciation and widespread desire of people wanting to contribute.\n"The biggest thing was, 'Are you guys really doing this?' I said 'Yes, we are,' and they'd say, 'Thank you for doing what you guys are doing,'" he said. "A kid called and gave me a dollar donation and another kid wanted to send a check for $5. Those are the stories you like to hear. Everyone wants to help one way or another."\nMawae said he and his wife also put together a drive Saturday that sent out two trucks filled with food to Baton Rouge, La., for distribution at shelters.\nHall of Famer and former Raiders coach Art Shell enjoyed the small conversations.\n"When they find out who you are, they know you by name," Shell said. "They ask you what you're doing these days, how come you're not coaching anymore. The main thing they'd talk about is the hurricane relief, what a great thing we're doing and they're glad to donate.\n"Of course we carry a little conversation with them, tell them thank you. We find out where they live, who they root for."\nFormer Oakland Raiders and Kansas City Chiefs star Marcus Allen said people don't realize how many people were affected by the hurricane.\n"My mother is from there and my mother's family is from there," he said. "Over 10 households have been displaced. Everybody's fine, and we're happy about that. It affects everybody."\nThe Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund serves as an umbrella organization for three special funds established by the governors of Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi to assist in the long-term recovery for those states.